We come from a small tribal village on the Taiwan Provincial Highway 9 (台9線), with a population of only 40 plus households. Twenty years ago, no one knew there was a Paiwan (排灣) tribe here; at that time, the Paiwan people dressed in Amis clothings, sang the Amis songs, and danced the Amis dances... Until one day the Paiwan youths decided to rediscover their own culture, their own language, their own tribe. Now the tribe has been recovered; that is us, the "Lalauran" tribe.
"Lalauran" youth association is an integrated unit; it has become a perpetual, endless circle of tribal life. It is a "home," an "alternative school," a place to provide training on becoming a "man." Children in the youth association learn from each other to grow up, and find a new identity and sense of belonging; and from here, they develop self-confidence, dignity, and trust. These essence are also seen in the attitudes of young people towards school, work, family, tribe members, and the tribe.
No one in the youth association is better than the other; what we have is only the mission and honor to the youth association and the tribe.
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From the story of the Lalauran tribe, I deeply feel the weight of culture and the youth's aspiration for cultural revival. Only through continuous action and self-examination can we find the way to our own ethnic groups and, indeed, our culture.
2017Amis Music Festival, let’s go!